Tough Love
by sammiepop
Summary: Jess has been watching Dirty Dancing for the last 3 days after her break up with Russell and Nick has had enough. It's time to take matters into his own hands...literally. *more chapters to come*
1. Chapter 1

"Because I had the time of my liiife…. And I never felt this way before… and I swear…. It's the truuuth… and I owe it all to-"

"Okay! That's enough! This needs to stop, Jess!" Jess glanced up at Nick with watery eyes. She had been lying on the sofa for almost 3 days playing _Dirty Dancing_ on repeat and Nick had had enough. He grabbed the remote from the arm of the sofa. Jess made a weak swipe for it before letting her arm fall back onto the couch.

"Put it back on, Nick. It's not finished." Jess mumbled, her voice creaky with overuse. She stared at the TV, trying to will it to start playing again.

"You know how it ends, Jess, you've seen it _at least_ 50 times in the last 3 days."

"That's not true, the film is only an hour and 40 minutes long so I could only have watched it 30 times at the most. So there, Miller. Now put it back on." Jess grabbed at Nick's arm, who yanked it back, taking a step away for good measure. The entire loft knew that Jess could get violent if they tried to stop her watching Dirty Dancing, but Nick couldn't listen to "nobody puts Baby in a corner!" one more time without going crazy.

The guys had tried almost everything. After Jess had broken up with Russell they had let her be for a day or so, hoping that she would snap out of it on her own. When that hadn't worked, Winston had tried being nice, trying to coax Jess into turning the TV off. When that didn't work Schmidt had stepped in, sending Jess a random man because, as he put it, "she needs to get over one guy by getting over another." Nick wasn't sure if Schmidt was more pissed about the 100 dollar jar fine or the black eye he was still nursing from Jess. Now Nick knew it was up to him. It was time for some tough love.

"Jessica I'm gonna give you 5 seconds to get out of your pit." Nick really hoped that she would, he did _not_ want to have to use Plan B.

Jess ignored him, continuing to stare at the TV. Nick sighed in frustration and ran his hand through his hair. "Jess, get up." With a glare and a mumbled "bite me", Jess rolled over, turning her back on Nick.

 _It's for her own good._ Nick thought to himself. He hoped he wouldn't live to regret this. He had never been one for getting hit in the face, which Jess always seemed to aim for when she was in this sort of mood. "This is your last chance, Jess. Otherwise you're gonna regret it."

"Back off Miller." Jess' voice sounded dangerously like a growl, but Nick was in too deep to quit now. _Don't make a threat if you can't carry it out Miller._

"Alright Jess I warned ya." Before he could convince himself otherwise, Nick leaned down and grabbed Jess around the waist, hoisting her over his shoulder.

"Nick?! What the hell, put me down!" Jess cried out as she was lifted suddenly into the air. "Nick?" She started to squirm as Nick ran out of the loft, yanking the door open with his free hand.

"It's for your own good Jess! Stop moving or I'm gonna drop you!"

"Nick I swear I'm going to _kill_ you when I get down." Jess growled, starting to kick around with her arms and legs. " _Put me down!"_

"I can't, Jess! It's- ow stop kicking me!- it's for your own good!" Nick ran to his car and slid Jess into the passenger seat, before hurtling round the car to the driver's seat before Jess could bolt. He jumped in and locked the doors before Jess could realise that she was upright again. For a while he just sat there panting, while Jess glowered next to him.

"Nicholas?" Jess spoke in a sickly sweet voice which was somehow more terrifying than an angry one.

 _Uh oh._ "Jessica."

"Are you going to tellme what just happened or am I going to make sure that the next time you can have sex will be in 2050?"

Nick swallowed. He hadn't really thought of what to do after he had gotten her in the car. _Don't let her smell fear!_ He thought. _Tough love, remember? That means you have to be_ _tough._

"I warned you, Jess. You wouldn't get off the couch." Nick shrugged, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone. Jess folded her arms.

"And you thought it would be a good idea to throw me over your shoulder and kidnap me?"

Nick rolled his eyes. "Oh come on Jess I did not _kidnap_ you. And besides, would you have moved if I hadn't have picked you up?" Jess said nothing, determined not to give him an answer, but ruined it by glancing down. "Exactly." Nick smirked. "And now you're up. And you can glare at me all you want-" Jess, despite herself, coloured slightly at that- "but you're not going back to that loft until I've shown you a good time."

Jess settled back in her seat with a sigh, which Nick took to mean acquiescence. He started the car, deciding to go to the bar. He really, _really_ needed a drink.

Jess sat silently, trying and failing to keep the glare from slipping from her face. Like it or not, she was starting to cool off, and the rational voice in her mind was telling her that Nick was right, she hadn't moved in three days and that was excessive. She kept sneaking little glances at Nick, her mind replaying over and over again the moment he had lifted her onto his shoulder like she weighed nothing. _Has he always been that strong?_ She wondered, glancing at him again. Jess blushed as she caught Nick's eye, embarrassed that he had caught her staring at him when she was supposed to be mad.

Nick had definitely noticed Jess staring at him. He restrained a smile, knowing that once he had got her up she wouldn't stay mad for long. That was what was so great about her, she didn't tend to hold grudges. Well, not against him anyway.

"We're here!" He announced, pulling up at the bar. He got out of the car and opened the passenger door, raising his eyebrows at Jess expectantly. He could see that she wasn't sure if she was still going to pretend if she was angry or not. "You coming?"

The corner of Jess' mouth twitched, but she didn't move. "Do I have a choice?"

"Of course you have a choice Jess!" Nick grinned a slightly mad grin. "You can choose to walk in, or you can choose to have me carry you. Up to you." Nick shrugged. "Makes no difference to me."

"You wouldn't." Jess challenged, lifting her chin to look Nick in the face. Nick raised an eyebrow in response.

"Wouldn't I?" He let the question hang in the air for a few moments, while Jess tried to figure out if he was bluffing. When she didn't move he shrugged again. "Oh well, off we go then!" He started to reach towards Jess, who unbuckled her seatbelt quickly.

"I'm going, I'm going!" She scrambled out of the car, refusing to meet Nick's eyes. Nick grinned and took Jess' hand, who raised an eyebrow.

"Let's not pretend you're not a flight risk." Jess sighed and allowed herself to be pulled into the bar, wondering why she was letting him get away with this.


	2. Chapter 2

"Sit down there." Nick all but pushed Jess into a booth, who collapsed onto the seat with a huff. "Right, I'm going to get us a drink. Don't. Move." He pushed a hand down on her shoulder for emphasis, then stood in front of the booth, hesitating.

Jess laughed. "Nick, I'm not going to run off. I know you'd bring me back kicking and screaming. I'd like to at least pretend I'm here of my own free will." Nick nodded, seemingly satisfied, and disappeared to the bar.

"Here ya go." Jess looked up to see Nick holding a beer and a drink that was…blue? She reached hopefully for the beer, causing Nick to chuckle and push the blue drink in front of her.

"Nick, what is this?" She took a sniff and grimaced at the strong alcoholic smell. "Or should I say, what's in this?" Nick simply smiled mysteriously. "I'm not going to drink something if I don't know what's in it Nick. That's, like, rule number one of drinking alcohol."

"Come on it's part of the fun! I'll tell you what it's called, how about that?"

"Fine."

Nick decided to ignore Jess' pout and gestured dramatically to the glass in front of her. "This, my friend, is what is commonly known as… the Blue Arrow!"

Jess gave a snort. "That was a bit anti-climactic. And how is that supposed to help me work out what's in it?"

"Well it's not, but now you know at least the name of what you're drinking." Jess gave Nick an unimpressed look, who sighed. "Look, Jess, I'm a bartender. I wouldn't give you a drink you couldn't handle. Don't you trust me?"

Jess sighed as she looked at Nick's face. He looked hurt at the idea that Jess didn't trust him, which made Jess feel like she'd just kicked a puppy.

"Fine, yes, I trust you." She muttered, suddenly feeling self-conscious. The feeling made her irritable for reasons she didn't fully understand. "Well why am I the only one drinking this Blue Arrow if it's so amazing and wonderful?" Jess asked grumpily, nodding towards Nick's beer.

"Well one of us has to be sensible and drive us back tonight, and since I brought you out here to have a good time I figured it should be me." Nick couldn't figure out Jess' mood swings, not two minutes ago she seemed to be okay with her 'kidnapping' and now she was acting like a surly teenager.

"Oh." Jess said quietly. She hadn't thought of that. _Stupid Nick Miller_ she thought to herself half-heartedly, _since when is he the rational one?_

"Anyway." Nick cleared his throat and held up his beer. "To forgetting Russell and his stupid grown up ways." Jess clinked her glass to Nicks' bottle.

"Cheers" she mumbled and took a sip of her drink, trying to get rid of the tightness in her chest that had appeared when Nick had mentioned Russell. She was pleasantly surprised to find that the drink was pretty good, it didn't taste anywhere near as alcoholic as it smelled.

"Jess." The word swam slowly through her alcohol soaked brain. "Hey Jess!" She realised it was Nick who was talking to her but it sounded really weird, like she was sat inside a bubble.

"Hey Nick you sound really weird." She started waving her hands around in the air, trying to pop the bubble around her so that she could hear again properly. "Nick I can't break the bubble I'm really freaking out and I can't hear anything." Panic raced through her when she realised that someone had grabbed her hands and she started struggling.

"Easy, easy it's just me!" Nick's face swam into view in front of her. He watched as Jess slowly connected the dots, looking from his face to his hands on her wrists again and again. Finally, realisation dawned on her and she let her arms go limp. Nick sighed in relief. He hadn't realised that she hadn't properly eaten anything today, and the alcohol had gone right to her head. One minute she was spaced out and not listening to a word he said, and the next she was flailing her arms around and screaming something about a bubble. He had grabbed her wrists when she had nearly punched him in the face, which had obviously freaked her out.

"Oh hey Nick! Wait, why are there two of you? Where did the other Nick come from?" She gasped. "Do you have a twin? Can I call you Nick One and Nick Two?" Jess put a hand out, trying to find Nick Two's face, but found only air. "Hey Nick Two that's so weird. Where's your face?"

Nick was trying not to laugh as Jess' hand hovered about 6 inches from his cheek. "Come on, Jess One, I think it's time I got you home." He stood up and held out a hand for Jess to take. She reached to find it with the biggest look of concentration that Nick had ever seen on her face. She had poked her tongue out and everything. It took her a few tries, but she eventually managed to find his hand and grab on to it. "There you go. Up we go then!" He pulled Jess to her feet, who wobbled alarmingly even while stood still. "Can you walk?" Nick asked, concerned.

Jess snorted. "Since I was a baby, Miller." Nick sighed at the awful joke.

"Come on then, Day." Nick watched as Jess took a few steps forward, looking strikingly similar to a baby deer. "This is gonna take all night." He mumbled to himself. He stepped forward and picked Jess up bridal-style, who gasped and automatically locked her hands around his neck. The two stared at each other for a minute, Jess' eyes wider than normal in surprise. Nick cleared his throat and Jess started to giggle, ending the moment between them.

"That's twice today, Miller. If I didn't know any better I'd say you liked carrying me places." Nick said nothing and started walking out of the bar onto the street. The truth was, he did like carrying Jess, more than he cared to admit. She was almost ridiculously light in his arms he thought, as they carried on towards the car. Nick was almost glad they had had to park a few blocks away.

"Hey Nick." Jess whispered, so low he almost didn't catch it. "Guess what."

"What?" He whispered back, glancing down at her face, which she had rested on his shoulder.

"You have to guess." Jess replied, louder this time. She unhooked her arms from Nick's neck and started waving them around behind her head. "Hey Nick, can I ask you a question?" She asked again when Nick didn't reply quickly enough.

"What is it Jess?"

"Am I flying?" Jess asked in an awed whisper, waving her arms around again. Nick couldn't contain his laughter and the movement of his chest bumped Jess slightly. "Uh oh, looks like we hit some turbulence folks, better put on your seatbelts."

Nick laughed again. "Sure Jess, you're flying." They walked on in silence for about a minute.

"Hey Nick."

"What can I do for you Jess?"

"I really like being carried by you, Nick." Jess realised she had said spoken out loud when she heard the words leave her mouth, but mentally shrugged. _Oh well._

"You do?" Nick looked down to see that Jess had closed her eyes and wondered if she had meant to speak.

"Mhm. You make me feel safe." Something warm flickered in Nick's chest and he was unable to contain the grin that spread across his face.

"Well that's very nice of you to say, Jess." Nick was almost certain Jess didn't know what she was saying, he had heard enough drunken ramblings during late nights at the bar. Still, that something burning in his chest whispered that drunk people normally say what they think when they're sober.

 **More to come soon!**


End file.
